Published by James November 26th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
James Mathus, Jas Mathus, Jimbo “Hambone” Mathus, and Jimbo Mathus. Take your pick. Thankfully, the last name is consistent as Mathus apparently likes his nicknames, though, on some level it adds to the charm of his being some sort of errant Southern troubadour cloaked in fond memories of the dimming past of last century.
Old School Hot Wings sees him paired up with Knockdown South delivering a warm and intimate performance that mixes traditional numbers with covers and a handful of originals. There is nothing ground breaking about this album but the warmth that Mathus and his band imbue the songs with make it a worthwhile listen. The opener, “Voice of a Pork Chop”, is a lively toe-tapper that never fails to get me humming and my stomach rumbling though it is tempered by the stinging rebuke of “Wouldn’t Treat a Dog”, which rounds out the back half and leaves the listener wondering how much of the song is directed at his ex-wife.
If you’re looking for music to pair with some sipping whiskey or something that conjurs up humid nights sprawled on the front steps then Old School Hot Wings is the perfect choice. Head over to his Myspace page to stream and download three songs from this album. Highly recommended.
Published by James November 8th, 2006
in Meta-Chatter.
Always one to play armchair psychologist I recently picked up the solo works of Whalen and Mathus, both formerly of Squirrel Nut Zippers and both formerly married to each other. Seeing both cutting and dropping albums withing months of each other and recorded in the aftermath of their relationship makes my inner voyeur tingle with delight. I plan of delving into each album a little deeper but here’s my National Enquirer® style thoughts.
Mathus is restrained in dealing with the break up and Old School Hot Wings reflects it as it plays like a bunch of old friends gathered around the kitchen table plucking out tunes and sipping whiskey. Occasionally he busts out a backhanded slap of a tune like “Wouldn’t Treat a Dog” but for the most part he is boxing up his feelings, tying it tightly up with string and dropping it down a deep well. He is finding comfort in the sounds of the past and the intimacy of friendships of few spoken words. That said, his album is a slow burner of Deep South Country and Blues and is more than worth picking up for the thick and humid atmosphere he and Knockdown South have crafted on these tracks.
Whalen, on the other hand, is announcing her freedom at the top of her lungs and Dirty Little Secret is aired out like laundry. She isn’t hiding anything; she is done with it and wants the world to know. She and her friends are driving with the top down and throwing all her old baggage out the back. Rather than falling back into nostalgia like Mathus, she is reinventing herself while exorcising the past from her psyche. Because of this the album finds itself all over the place with some hits and some misses but it is an exhilarating journey and you cannot help but be compelled to grab a piece of her luggage and chuck it out the window hollering, “You go girl!”
More to follow but in the meantime check out three tracks from Dirty Little Secret and three from Old School Hot Wings.
